Galvin - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Gealbháin
Meaning: “bright and white”
Traditional stronghold: Clare, Kerry
Pronunciation: GAL-vin; Irish Ó Gealbháin: oh GYAL-uh-wawn
History of the Galvin name
Galvin is Ó Gealbháin, usually explained as geal, 'bright', and bán, 'white' or 'fair', so 'the bright fair one'. The sept arose in County Clare, but over the centuries the name drifted south and west, and it is now most strongly associated with Kerry, Cork and Limerick. In parts of Kerry it was anglicised Gallivan, and both forms often occur in the same families. The Galvins never held great territorial power, but the name is an old and purely Gaelic one that has produced notable figures in poetry, sport and military life on both sides of the Atlantic.
Variants: Gallivan · Galivan · O'Galvin
Famous bearers of the name
- Paul Galvin - Four-time All-Ireland winner with Kerry and Footballer of the Year in 2009.
- Patrick Galvin - Cork poet, playwright and author of the Song of a Poor Boy memoirs.
- John R. Galvin - Irish-American US Army general who served as NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Brien · O'Sullivan · O'Connor · McCarthy · Kennedy · Quinn · O'Connell · Fitzgerald